THE ROOMMATE 2024

Director’s Note

For anyone interested in the theatre “process,” how all the small pieces of a play come together into a production, a chance to work with actors like Meg and Elaine is a gift a challenge to learn, grow, and cherish. Adding the professional expertise, careful eye, and sense of humor of Mary Holland, our stage manager, made this process less work and more fun for all of us. This project was a joyful collaboration exploring characters, labels, self-sufficiency, and shared responsibilities.

All of us, at junctures in our lives, find ourselves out of synch with the person we thought we were.We are no longer who we were, but we are not sure who we are becoming or what direction we’ll take. How we define ourselves is a recipe made of part personal past, part peer perception, part guilt, and part hope.This play follows two middle-aged women new roommates as they face shifting realizations of themselves.

Near the end of the play, Sharon says that “people find words for themselves but those words are not always right and I think I don’t have the right words anymore.” We hope that as you watch Sharon and Robyn examine themselves and try on new identities, you will hear echoes of your own self-exploration and discovery and find the right words to guide your journey.

-Aleta Thompson, Director

THE ROOMMATE

By JEN SILVERMAN

SEASON SPONSOR SHOW SPONSOR

ALICE & ALFREDWILLIS ALETATHOMPSON & LINDAWOLF

CAST

Sharon……………………………………....…….. Meg Kelly*

Robyn………………………………………..…… Elaine Faye*

*Appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association a professional union for actors and stage managers

Time: Summer 2017

Place: An old house in Iowa City.

Scene Synopsis

Scene 1: Afternoon

Scene 2: Morning, the next day

Scene 3: Night, a week later

Scene 4: Morning, the next day

Scene 5: Later that morning

Scene 6: Evening

Scene 7: Morning

Scene 8: Two weeks later

Scene 9: Evening, one week later

Scene 10: Late morning

Scene 11: Morning, a week later

The play will be performed without an intermission.

CREATIVE TEAM

Director………………………………..……………………….……….. Aleta Thompson

Stage Manager………………………………...……………………...…….. Mary Holland

Costume Coordinator…………………………………………………. Christopher Decker

Light Designer/Operator.…………….………..…..………..…………….. Brendan Smith

Sound

CAST

ELAINE FAYE

was last seen at Clear Space in THREE TALL WOMEN and has performed at many theaters across the country. Other favorites include Clear Space Theatre's ‘NIGHT MOTHER,THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, DEATHTRAP,THE ODD COUPLE, SHIRLEYVALENTINE, BLITHE SPIRIT, and THOROUGHLY

MODERN MILLIE; NYC–THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT, MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA, ORPHEUS DESCENDING, and GYPSY (national tour); DC–Kennedy CenterYouthTheater's EAST OF THE SUN and ALICE INWONDERLAND, directed by Pat Carroll; and SignatureTheater's UNIDENTIFIED HUMAN REMAINS (Helen Hayes Award nominee). Elaine lives in Rehoboth Beach with her husband, Ed.

MEG KELLY

is delighted to return to Clear Space after appearing as Polly in OTHER DESERT CITIES, the Stage Manager in OUR TOWN,A in THREE TALLWOMEN, Shioban in THE CURIOUS INCIDENT…, and Nancy Blake in THE WOMEN. She has worked professionally for more than 40 years as a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. Some favorite roles have been: Marty in CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, Ruth in BLITHE SPIRIT and Martha inWHO'S AFRAID OFVIRGINIAWOOLF? Meg also toured schools, museums, libraries, and government organizations with one-woman plays based on the lives of historic women. Meg spent 11 years as an Adjunct Professor in the Department ofTheatre Arts at Towson University. Originally fromWilmington, she now lives in OceanView.

CREATIVE TEAM

ALETA THOMPSON (Director)

has been active in Clear Space Theatre Company since its inception, as a board member, instructor, director, actor, stage manager, and properties mistress. She has performed for CSTC in TINTYPES, OUR TOWN, EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN, SIX ROOMS, THE ODD COUPLE, LOVE LOSS AND WHAT I WORE, THE LARIMIE PROJECT, and SISTER ACT, among others. She also has been known to surreptitiously sing backstage when she should have been working. A retired high school English and theatre teacher, she works for the University of Delaware’s School Success Center writing middle school curriculum.

MARY HOLLAND (Stage Manager) left her early career as a stage manager in regional theatre to take up film producing. Over the next 40+ years, she produced features, documentaries, shorts, and television commercials. She was delighted to be called in to stage manage THE ROOMMATE because she thinks Clear Space is a true treasure. Her credits include drinking two bottles of scotch to provide the props for this show.

THE ROOMMATE

is produced through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by Concord Theatricals.

Phone: (866) 979-0447 www.concordtheatricals.com

Wishing the best to Clear Space for another successful season!

Rick Tedrick, Shawn Wright, and Hunter

Clear Space Theatre Company

Clear Space Theatre Company,a501(c)3culturalorganizationfoundedin2004, iscommittedtoteaching,producingandpresentingtheperformingarts.Theterm “clearspace”referstoafocusontheprocess,knowledge,andhumanityofarts performance:theideathatwefindourselvesinwhatappearsonthestage. Our Vision istobealeaderinthevibrantperformingartscommunityof southernDelaware. Our Mission istoinspireaudiences,artists,andstudentsthroughhighquality performanceandeducationalexperiences.

Clear Space Theatre Company Staff

DavidButton,ArtisticDirector

LaraBellistri,BoxOfficeManager

JoeGfaller,ManagingDirector

SydneyGray,CompanyManager

LauraRussum,DigitalMarketingManager

JadinePilotti,HouseManager&DevelopmentCoordinator

Board Of Directors

MeganNehrbas,Chair

LauraHoward,Secretary

JayAllen

JessBain

JamesBerry

JohnCullen

MikeMoreland

JoeSterner,ViceChair

AlfredWillis,Treasurer

RichardJ.Perry,Jr.

IdaRowe

LisaSchlosser

MindiMooreTunnell

The Producers Circle isanadvisorycommitteeofcommunityleaderscommittedto ensuringasustainable,year-roundtheatrecompanythatalsoprovidesartseducation forindividualsofallagesandcommunityoutreach.

Producers Circle

LizLeshine

JeffreyandIdaRowe

PeterKeeble

PeterPizzolongo

LindaWolf

JayAllen

AliceandAlfredWillis

MaryJoTarallo

CarlSchloegel

JudyRayner

JoanneMcGregor

JoelleGenevish

MaryKayRyan,Founder

Clear Space Theatre 20 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 302.227.2270 www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org

This organization is supported in part by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.